Governor Pat Quinn announced that the Illinois Department of Human Services will offer immediate food assistance to 15 counties, including Washington County, beginning Wednesday.  The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Services has authorized IDHS to offer special Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits to residents in those counties declared federal disaster areas as a result of severe storms last month.  Individuals may be eligible for Disaster SNAP if they lived in one of the affected counties when the disaster occurred.  To qualify, persons must have had damage to home or business, paid disaster-related expenses that were not reimbursed, or loss or reduction of income as a result of the storms on November 17^th.  Applicants must bring proof of identity, proof of residence in a disaster area prior to the disaster, and any unreimbursed disaster expenses paid during the dates of November 17^th to December 16^th.  Applications will be accepted Wednesday through Friday and next Monday and Tuesday from 8:30 AM to 4 PM.  For more information, residents can call their local IDHS office or visit the IDHS website at www.dhs.state.il.us.   Those in Washington County should contact the Mount Vernon office, located at 333 Potomac Boulevard, Suite F or call them at 618-242-1040.  Individuals are not required to register with FEMA to apply for DSNAP.